Shaqshuka on Annunciation Day

So 20 years have flown by. Very quick. Its the feast of the Annunciation and most people have gone up to Nazareth for the feast.

Mass was celebrated on Mt. Calvary this morning. Several concelebrants: Shi, Johnny, Pedro, Niccacci, Matteo, a guest from South Africa, Fan as deacon. The sisters of Mother Teresa were there, Mara from the Silent Workers, Hidri, Emmanuela from Telepace, Antonio from St. Saviour's, Mila and Huang from the Dominicans, Molly from Singapore and another Singaporean volunteer at Ecce Homo and several other people. Mass was as solemn as you can make it in 25 mins with Gloria, Credo and homily. Remembered you all at Mass there. Gist of the homily: be another angel Gabriel, announce good news to everyone, tell them "Be not afraid! The Lord is with you".

It was good to meet with Sr. Molly again. Knew her back in Singapore some 25 years ago but lost contact all these years. She's doing a sabbatical course at the White Fathers' in St. Anne's (Probatica Pool).

Al fresco breakfast at Kadosh

After Mass we walked to Kadosh Restaurant for breakfast. Can't believe they only asked for croissant and caffe-latte. So I ordered shaqshuka for them. They never tasted it before. It's poached eggs in spiced tomato sauce with bread and pesto. Supposed to be a north african breakfast created during Ottoman times and inculturated into Israel. I think they liked it. As usual I had a sahlab. And no one among them knew what it was. Sigh ... they should come out more often and experience local life and culture.

After breakfast, walked up Ben Yehuda with Hidri to buy some cakes for my kitchen staff (Khalil, Nadia, Firas), the doorman Majed and his sons, and the nuns working at our place. It was an expression of my thanks for their care, concern and hardwork all these years. So I bought a kilo of black forest and cheesecake and another kilo of strudel. Gave some of the strudel to Mother Teresa's sisters on the way home, and they gave me a huge tupperware of pancit that they cooked for me. The staff and nuns enjoyed it. Nadia baked some sfiha (mini-pizzas with lamb meat) for me. I can't possibly eat all that so I split the pancit into two packs, as also the sfiha. One will go to Osvalda, our librarian and best friend all these 20 years. The other pack goes to Camillo, my new friend from Colombia who works as a volunteer at Gethsemani - he has no dinner included in his volunteer package.

Tonight the students at Ratisbonne are organising a party. Will be there at 7pm. They're fantastic guys and I'm sure I'll enjoy the evening with them.

Thanks to everyone for the journey these 20 years. Its been a hard walk, but worth it. No regrets, no regrets.